One of the problems that occurs with an electrical fault in a body of water is that the current leakage into the body of water from the electrical fault can injure or kill a person through electrocution, which is often referred to as electric shock drowning. This invention relates generally to shock detectors and, more specifically, to shock detectors that can be used to prevent electric shock drowning by detecting the presence of an electric field and alerting a person that the body of water comprises a hazard to a swimmer or a person coming into contact with the body of water. Typically, the current leakage occurs from a faulty electrical connection on a boat or dock although other sources may create a hazardous water condition.
It is known that if a swimmer encounters a body of water with an electric field the swimmer can be electrocuted with a voltage gradient of as little as two volts per foot. The mere presence of the swimmer in the electric field causes the current flowing in the water to take a path of least electrical resistance through the swimmers body since the wet skin on a swimmer's body has a lower electrical resistance than the water surrounding the swimmer. If the voltage gradient is sufficiently high the current flowing through the swimmer's body can electrocute the swimmer. In still other cases a person may be electrocuted if he or she comes into incidental contact with a body of water, which has leakage from an electrical source.
In addition to the existence of a harmful voltage gradient in a body of water there is a need to safely locate the source of the harmful voltage gradient as well as to ensure those proximate the body of water that the water does or does not contain a hazardous electrical field.